Mechanical musical instrument.



A. P. GUSTAPSON.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.13. 1910.

1,1 33 ,022. v Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

UNTTED STATES P ,ihlT QFTCE.

.ADOLPH I. GUSTAFSON, O13 CHICAGO, ILLINOES, ASSIGBIOR TO M. SQHULZ 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed. December 13, 1910. Serial No. 597,689.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH P. GUSTAF- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part or" this specification.

My invention relates to mechanical musical instruments, and especially to instruments commonly known as piano players, or player pianos.

Prominent objects of the invention are to provide a simple, practical and inexepensive construction of piano player mechanism, especially the mechanism commonly called the action, that is, that part of the instrument comprising the pneumatic mechanism for operating the striking devices of the instrument.

In the arrangement herein shown for carrying out my invention, I employ a single valve construction, and arrange the valve so that it is pivotally mounted in a simple and expeditious manner, instead of being mounted for vertical reciprocation by means of suitable devices, as is commonly done. By this arrangement I simplify the construction very materially, reducing the number of parts and also cheapening it and minimizing the space which it requires. The arrangement of ducts and ports is also advantageous.

The invention can be employed or used in other ways than the one herein set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a player piano ac tion, embodying my present invention, with its top removed for convenience of illustration. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 22 in Fig. 1, with the aforesaid top portion in its place. Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of said top member.

Referring to the drawings I show an action comprising a longitudinally extending top member 1, side members 2 and 3, and a bottom member 4. The top member 1, is provided with a series of ports or apertures, 55, to which the tracker board tubes 6 are connected. This member also has trans versely extending or cross passages or ducts 7-7, extending from said ports or apertures 55, and having bleed ports 88, in the bottom of said member 1. The side membcrs 2 and 3 are interposed between the side edges of the top and bottom members 1 and 1-, and with the latter form a longitudinally extending wind trunk or wind way 9. The bottom member 1 is provided with a series of pouch chambers 10 and cross ducts l1, communicating therewith. The pouch chambers 10 are covered by flexible pouches 12, to which valve levers or arms 13 are connected, said arms 13 being bent as shown in Fig. 1 and pivoted in small blocks or bearings 14, mounted upon the top of said member 41. The ends of the arms 13 are coiled as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form weights to hold the pouches 12 normally in a downward or depressed condition. The other ends of the pivoted rods 13 are bent at 15 and carry valves 16, which have a loose pivoted or rocking connection with the bent ends of the arms 13. These valves 16 are arranged in cross ducts or passages 17 formed in the member 4, there being apertures 18 to accommodate the bent ends of the arms 13 and to allow them to enter the chamber for connection with the valves 16. The cross chambers 1'? are closed by a side strip 4 Ducts or ports 19 connect the passages 17 with pneumatics 20, which are conveniently mounted below the action box or chest thus set forth, and carried by the same. Other ports 21 open into a longitudinally extending groove or channel 22, formed in the bottom of the bottom member 4, and affording an air passage to permit air to enter the ports 21. Tubular connections 23 are arranged over the corner edge 01"- the upper member 1, which member is cut away at 24: to accommodate said tubes 23, which latter afford connection between the cross passages 7 and 11. The pneumatics are shown operating the stickers 25 of the action of a piano, in which the pneumatic action is understood to be arranged. Of course it could be arranged for other purposes.

Thus it will be seen that when the tracker board tubes 6 receive air in the usual way by the passage of the music sheet, the pouches 12 will be operated and this will cause the pivoted arms 13 to be tilted or rocked so as to cause the valves 16 to close the ports 21 and open the ports 18, thereby causing the pneumatics to be exhausted by way of other ports 19 with the result that the corresponding stickers will be operated and notes sounded. The action can be cheaply and quickly built and assembled. Most ofthe passages can be bored and the number of parts required is very small. The action is compact, occuping but little space, and there is no opportunity for dust to enter. This is so because of the arrangement of ports, bleeds and so on, especially the air channel underneath the action box.

It will be understood. that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I .claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described in combination, a striking pneumatic, a wind way connected to said pneumatic provided with an air port and a suction port, a valve for closing said ports alternately, and a rod pivotally mounted and engaging at one end an operating diaphragm, the end of said rod opposite said diaphragm being bent so as to extend through said suction port, said valve being pivotally connected to said rod.

2. In apparatus of the class specified, a valve rod having a valve at one end, and having its other end formed into a coil or spiral and a diaphragm to which said coil or spiral is secured.

3. An action ofthe class specified comprising upper and lower members 1 and 4, intermediate side members 2 and 3, said members forming a wind way 9, the upper member being provided with tracker board ducts or passages 77, and the lower nember being provided with pouch chambers 10 below the wind way 9 and also with pouch .ducts 11, connections between the passages 7.7 and 1111, pivotally mounted valve rods or arms 13, extending crosswise of said wind way 9, pouches 12 between the pouch chambers 10 and the wind way 9, said pouches being attached to the arms 13 and valves 16 carried by the other ends of said arms 13, said valves controlling ports.

4:. An action of the class specified, comprising upper and lower longitudinally extending members and intermediate strips separating said members and forming wind chamber 9 between the same, the lower member having a series of diaphragm chambers 10, and also a longitudinally extending wind passage 17, diaphragms in said dia phragm chambers, valve rods arranged in the wind chamber 9, and attached to said diaphragms, valves 16 arranged in the wind chamber 17 and carried by said valve rods, openings or ports above and below said valves, through the upper ones of which the valve rods extend, and openings from the chamber 17 for communication with power pneumatics.

5. An action of the class specified, comprising upper and lower members, intermediate strips separating said members and forming a wind way 9 between the same, pouch chambers 10, and a longitudinally extending wind passage 17 in the lower member, valve rods supported on the lower member and attached to diaphragms covering said pouch chambers, valves carried by said valve rods and arranged in the wind passage 17, and ports opening from the pasge 17 for communication with power pneumatics.

6. An action of the class specified, comprising upper and lower members, intermediate strips separating said members and forming a wind way 9 between the same, the lower member being provided with pouch chambers 10 covered by pouches 12, and being also provided with a longitudinally extending duct or passage 17 formed at one side or said lower member and closed by a strip l bearings 14 for valve rods supported upon the lower member and arranged in the wind way 9, valve rods 13 mounted in said bearings 14% and having their ends coiled and attached to the pouches 12, the other ends of said valve rods being bent, valves 16 in the wind way 17, said valves being hung upon the bent ends of said valve rods, power pneumatics 20 secured to the under side of the lower member, ports 19 forming communication between the chamber 17 and said power pneumatics, and ports 18 and 21 above and below the valves 16, the under side of the lower member having a longitudinally extending passage or groove forming an air channel and communicating with ports below said valves. I

7. In apparatus of the class specified, a board or member having a series of pouch chambers 10, covered by pouches 12 and also having a horizontally extending groove or passage 17, together with hori- Zontal valve rods 13- pivotally mounted on said board or member, and attached to the pouches 12, and having their ends bent downwardly and formed into a hook, and valves arranged in the passage 17 and suspended horizontally and pivotally on the hooked ends of said rods.

8. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of pouches or diaphragms and valve rods having their ends coiled and secured to said pouches or diaphragms.

9. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a board or member carrying valve rods which are bent twice between their ends to form bearings, together with pouches also carried by said board and attached to the ends of said valve rods, and valves carried by the other ends of said valve rods, the latter being pivoted between their ends upon the bent portions thereof, said valves, pivots and pouches being so placed that a line passing through the center of a valve and its corresponding pivot will also pass through the center of the pouch.

10. In apparatus of the class specified in combination, a board having a port therein, a valve rod pivoted on said board having a hooked end, a valve for governing said port mounted directly on said hooked end and having a sliding fit lengthwise of the portion of the rod forming the hooked end, and pneumatically operated means for operating said rod.

11. In a device of the class described in combination, a pivoted valve rod having an approximately horizontal arm, said arm being bent downwardly at one end, and a valve hung directly and horizontally on the bent end of said arm and making a loose fit therewith, and means for pneumatically actuating said rod.

12. In a device of the class described in combination, a valve rod and a valve hung on said valve rod and having a connection therewith adapted to permit the valve to slide lengthwise of the valve rod, and also to permit the valve to rock or swing crosswise of the valve rod, and pneumatic means for actuating the valve rod.

13. The combination of a valve stem having its end made in the form of an open hook, a valve loosely suspended on said hook, said hook being sufliciently open to permit said valve to be slid off from the same, and pneumatic means for actuating said valve stem.

14:. The combination of a valve stem having its end made in the form of an open hook, a valve loosely mounted on said hook, said valve having two apertures formed in the valve structure through which the sides of the hook pass, said hook being sufiiciently open to permit said valve to be slid ofl from the same, and the end of said valve stem hook being pointed and pneumatic means for actuating said valve stem.

15. In a device of the class specified, the combination of a substantially horizontal valve rod having one end bent downwardly and then upwardly to form an open hook, a valve hung horizontally upon said bent end, and pneumatic means for actuating said valve rod.

16. The combination of a valve rod having one of its ends bent to form an open hook, a valve hung on said hook and having its top provided with apertures through which said bent end may pass, said hook being sufliciently open to permit said valve to be slid off from the same, and pneumatic means for actuating said valve rod.

17. The combination of a valve rod having a hook shaped portion, a valve loosely suspended from and hanging below said hook shaped portion, a port above said valve controlled thereby, and pneumatic means for actuating said rod, said valve rod being extended through said port.

18. The combination of a valve rod having an end portion made in the form of a downwardly extending hook, a valve having its top provided with apertures through which said hook portion of said rod may pass, said valve being slidable 0E from said hook portion to permit its detachment from said rod, a port above said valve controlled thereby, and pneumatic means for actuating said rod.

19. The combination of a horizontally arranged pivotally mounted valve stem having a valve at one end and weighted at the other end, a diaphragm associated with the weighted end for operating the same and a wind chest having a port controlled by said valve, said port being normally closed by said valve by reason of the weighted end of said valve stem.

20. The combination of a substantially horizontally arranged valve stem carrying a valve at one end and Weighted at the other end, and pivoted between its ends, a diaphragm associated with the weighted end of said valve stem for operating the same, and a wind chest having a port normally closed by said valve, said valve being normally in an elevated condition to close said port by reason of the downward position of the weighted end of said valve stem.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of December, A. D., 1910.

AD OLPII P. GUSTAFSON.

lVitnesses A. LYDA JONES, HAZEL J ONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

